KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine fought Russia's more than 4-year-old invasion under an interim defense minister Friday, a day after a government reshuffle exposed a deep split between the military's old guard and young innovators over how to fight the war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's major shake-up of his government on Thursday, which included the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister and the appointment of a new prime minister, unsettled the country's military leadership and triggered a public outcry. It tested Zelenskyy's authority and was an unwelcome difficulty after Ukraine in recent months gained traction in the war.
WATCH: News Wrap: Ukrainians protest Zelenskyy's firing of defense minister
Zelenskyy said he had asked Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara, acting head of the state's security service and a highly regarded special operations expert, to take over the defense minister's duties.
Zelenskyy said late Thursday he would ask Parliament to formally approve Khmara's appointment as defense minister, as required by law.
